Stramazon River

This week on Wednesday my class was wide open! Perhaps it was the full-moon, perhaps they'd been so great on Monday and Tuesday they had a naughty quota to fill. Not sure, but regardless of the reason they were borderline crazy.
On that particular day my guided reading groups were very challenging. One little girl was attempting to read imaginary words floating in the air, and then seemed puzzled when I asked her to look at the page.

Anyway while reading a book about rivers we came across the word "stream". Bronson, an extremely bright student, decided the word was "Amazon River." I tried to prompt him to try again saying, "No Bronson, look. This word begins with the letters S-T-R" and made the sound /str/ to demonstrate how it should sound. "Now you try it. Make it sound like /str/. " He excitedly looked at the page and shouted, "Str- Str- Stramazon river!!!!!"

It's fine, have a chuckle at my expense. It happens in 1st grade. Students get an idea so ingrained in their mind that no amount of prompting can re-direct them. They are set on one path and are incapable of coming up with alternatives. That made me begin the think… How many times have I been so set in my own thinking, that I wouldn't allow God to redirect me. Have I ever closed God's doors because of my unwillingness to see things in an alternative way?

As many of you know a recent trip to VA [Jan 2005] pushed me way out of my comfort zone. I guess I was so panicky because God was leading me in a direction I had never considered before. I'd had my own life agenda and he was asking me to see it in a different way. The word I'd been reading as "stramazon river" was so clearly "streams."
Lately I've been relying heavily on Proverbs 3:5:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do and he will direct your paths.

I felt the need to share this because so many of us are in a season of transition and new direction! Perhaps you can not only get a laugh from this story but can also learn what I've learned.

Swaziland...Here I come!

The strange thing is, I'd counted it for lost. I applied with Children's Cup back in February hoping for a 2 week missions trip this summer. But as I learned more about their organization, and about the children of Swaziland my little spark was fanned into a big giant roaring fire. I felt without a doubt that I needed to be there working along side of them. These children have been born with so little and yet have still lost so much. I feel an undeniable love for them and want the opportunity to help them.

Well after 4 silent months I'd decided they must not want me. I hadn't heard a thing. And then... I recieved an email from Children's Cup. Last night as I lay on the couch I felt God's prompting- "Go email them!" I felt he showed me the words to write so I did. It was short and sweet and sent through cyber space in a matter of 3 minutes. I didn't expect to hear a reply until after the Memorial Day weekend, yet there it was in my mailbox this morning. Written at 1:30 am:

Great timing.
Tomorrow we have our last meeting with the Swazi staff here in Louisiana.
We'll be happy for you to visit Swaziland. The first opening will be in February of 2006. Will this fit your schedule?
We are seeing tremendous growth of the program in Swaziland and believe you will be blessed by what you see and experience.
Dave & Jean Ohlerking

Notice the greeting: Great timing

Yes, I guess when I "wait upon the Lord" I do end up with great timing. I'm not really sure how this will all turn out but I know one thing,- Swaziland... here I come!